S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the vicious Ukrainian FPS set in the "exclusion zone" around the ruined Chernobyl nuclear power plant, may be getting its own television series.

Fair warning: I'm a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fanboy. You can have your Halo and your Gears and your Modern Warfare; I'll take crawling through a crumbling village in the pitch-black night, praying I don't run into some hideous creepy-crawly with a face like an octopus butt, any day of the week. And unlike those other games, it looks like mainstream Russian audiences may soon be able to enjoy that awesome irradiated goodness with nothing more than a basic cable subscription.

Details are slim but the stills and teaser at KinoSTALKER.com look very true to the game. Almost too true, in fact; some of these shots look as though they've been lifted directly from the game or a box cover. That's not too much of a surprise, given the involvement of GSC Game World, the studio behind the series, but it does make me wonder if this isn't some kind of PR stunt for a future S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game. Maybe someone gave those crazy S.T.A.L.K.E.R. cosplayers a video camera?

Not that the idea is entirely outlandish. As PC Gamer notes, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game franchise is loosely based on the 1979 Russian film Stalker, which was itself based on the 1971 novel Roadside Picnic. In other words, it's a television show based on a game based on a movie based on a book. Which, I think most fans will agree, makes it exactly the kind of convoluted mess any proper S.T.A.L.K.E.R. product should be.

GSC Game World officially revealed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 in August. The game is currently slated for release sometime in 2012.

This trailer has the same kind of uncanniness that comes from low production values that I feel when I play the STALKER games. However, also like the STALKER games, it still looks awesome despite it's flaws.

I absolutely love STALKER more than any other game. At first I was a bit worried about it looking a bit low budget, but I had the exact same feeling when I first started in STALKER: SOC.This might actually turn out pretty awesome...

Mmm. Looks very, very nice. Like Stalker the film, but significantly less introspective and more active. The Zone of the games and this trailer is a more actively malignant entity than the passive-aggressive mystery it is in the original film.

Haven't properly enjoyed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. yet (I crave nothing but Ukrainian voice and English subs), but this looks pretty damn awesome. If they can pull it off and bring it to the states on DVD or something, I'll definitely buy it, especially if it has original voice and subs. :D

The trailers seems quiet true to the games. Hope it works out well though, things based on games generally dont work out too well. Though, from that trailer it would seem that it has grasped some of the main points of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Not that the idea is entirely outlandish. As PC Gamer notes, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game franchise is loosely based on the 1979 Russian film Stalker, which was itself based on the 1971 novel Roadside Picnic. In other words, it's a television show based on a game based on a movie based on a book. Which, I think most fans will agree, makes it exactly the kind of convoluted mess any proper S.T.A.L.K.E.R. product should be.

Further more, the film Stalker and the book Roadside Picnic were made BEFORE the Chernobyl disaster.

Normally I don't see the point in this kind of thing. Adapting a game into a non-interactive medium tends to rob it of what made it a good game in the first place. But an adaptation of my very favouritest game series ever, which I love specifically for its setting and atmosphere? Hell yes. This has the potential to be amazing. Or terrible. Either way, this is something I have to watch, if it turns out to be legitimate. And that trailer certainly seems to be true to what Stalker is all about.

I wonder what the chances are for this thing being broadcast, or at least coming to DVD here in the states are. As I understand it STALKER is a much bigger game in Russia than the US, but I think there would at least be an audience for it here.

This looks pretty damn cool. They really nailed the special effects: the electric anomaly and "blind puppy" look pretty realistic. The uniforms on the soldiers , though don't look quite as good: They look very clean and new, as opposed to the dirty/used/old look I would expect.

I wonder what prompted whoever was in charge to give this the go-ahead? S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s got a bit of a cult following amongst hard-core PC gamers, but I wouldn't have thought it popular enough to warrant a TV series.

I love the Russian language, it just sounds so kickass to listen to :D

I've played Shadow of Chernobyl and it's pretty good, but takes some getting used to. I have Call of Pripyat, the supposed better one, but I have yet to play it but I will soon. I'm very interested in STALKER 2, this TV show not so much.

sgtshock:I wonder what the chances are for this thing being broadcast, or at least coming to DVD here in the states are. As I understand it STALKER is a much bigger game in Russia than the US, but I think there would at least be an audience for it here.

Probably not too bad, honestly. I've got an English subbed copy of STALKER (1979) on my shelf to be watched, right now.

Holy shit I just came a bucket. And another one for thinking about this again.STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl is definitely the best game out there (Fallout New Vegas started to catch on, baby steps: In fallout they finally let you upgrade your weapons).

Since I am Ukrainian, and do speak Russian, I'll be very smug about not having to read the subtitles.

I never played a STALKER game but they look like games I would really like. So I'd probably watch this. However, the trailer didn't convince me it would be any good. Although maybe I need to have some sorta knowledge of the games.

laryri:This trailer has the same kind of uncanniness that comes from low production values that I feel when I play the STALKER games. However, also like the STALKER games, it still looks awesome despite it's flaws.

Sums it up nicely.

As long as this has English subs (preferred not dubbed), I will watch it... Somehow... Hopefully they stream it on that kinoSTALKER site.

Andy Chalk: In other words, it's a television show based on a game based on a movie based on a book. Which, I think most fans will agree, makes it exactly the kind of convoluted mess any proper S.T.A.L.K.E.R. product should be.

I am a huge fan of stalker and always sing it's praise in storytelling ablity. I felt COP as a bit open ended to tell the story as well but did enjoy it alot and by no means was it a a move downhill in the series to me, just a side step that the develops have already shown they are happy to adjust if need (from past adjustments).I look forward to the next Stalker game and that trailer did feel a hell of alot like Stalker again. Almost every scene in it fit like I was watching Stalker ^^.

Would love to see it developed properly, maybe a short lived series so it doesn;t drag itself out (or have it actually follow the games storyline to put the story in a different media, I for one would enjoy watching it)

donutsftw:This looks pretty damn cool. They really nailed the special effects: the electric anomaly and "blind puppy" look pretty realistic. The uniforms on the soldiers , though don't look quite as good: They look very clean and new, as opposed to the dirty/used/old look I would expect.

I wonder what prompted whoever was in charge to give this the go-ahead? S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s got a bit of a cult following amongst hard-core PC gamers, but I wouldn't have thought it popular enough to warrant a TV series.